A Wall That Connects Cultures

Pam Brown and the mural she painted at ChildFund’s international office in Richmond, Va.

By Karlo Goronja, ChildFund Communications Intern

Communications staff member Dale Catlett crocheted an outfit for her Watoto.

Many ChildFund staff members have hidden talents, but everyone at our international office in Richmond, Va., knows about Pam Brown’s way with a paintbrush. An executive assistant in our information technology department, Pam painted an intricate — and large — world map mural unveiled in our employee lounge last month. It’s adorned with individually decorated Watotos, the child figure that replaces the “I” in the ChildFund logo.

A few months ago, communications director Cynthia Price came to Pam with the idea of using the Watoto — Swahili for child — in a wall decoration commemorating our organization’s 75th anniversary.

“The whole idea intrigued me, so of course I said yes,” Pam says. “We brainstormed a couple of times, and once we were on a roll, ideas just kept flowing out of us.”

As Pam did the detail work on tiny islands in the Pacific, as well painting the sprawling continents, other staff members decorated paper Watotos, taking inspiration from the 30 countries where ChildFund works.

Meg’s Mozambique Watoto

“For me, there’s special significance to the wall,” says Meg Carter, sponsorship communication specialist. “It reflects our love for the children, countries and cultures we serve. I lived in Guinea in 2010 and 2011, so I have many photos of children and daily life there. When we had the opportunity to participate in this project, I went through my photos to find the best ones. I wanted to show what it’s like for a child to live in Guinea.”

Meg’s Watoto displays the colors of the Guinean flag (red, yellow and green), the names of the country’s important holidays, and photos of children. She also created a Watoto for Mozambique using the same ideas.

“Many of the Watoto also reveal a deep understanding of the traditions and daily life in those places,” Meg says. “It says ‘We love you.’ It’s kind of like giving someone a Valentine that shows you know them deeply and want to be a part of their life.”

Although the wall has received much attention from staff and guests alike, perhaps the most important aspect to the artwork is its symbolism for our staff members, both in Richmond and abroad, and our many local partner organizations.

According to Pam, “I work for ChildFund, and I know the deep meaning of this mural firsthand and know how everyone feels about the welfare of the children this mural represents.”